Improvement in thill-couplings



UNITED y STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

- WALTER EATON, OF NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS.

' IMPROVEMENT IN TH|LLCOUPL|N(':SIl p Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,160, dated September 28, 1875; application filed April 51875.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER KAToN, of North Attleborough, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill- Couplings; and I'do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

yMy invention relates to thill-couplings or devices for attaching `the shafts to the for ward axles of vehicles; and the invention consists in a new and `improved combination of devices,iwher'eby the coupling is made t v stronger, the shaft prevented from becoming detached from the axle, and suspended or retained in an elevated position when desired, all as hereinafter more fullysetforth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved coupling device, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line a' a', Fig. l.`

A represents a plate, the inner end of which is secured to and beneath the axle by means of a, clip, B, which is passed around the axle, its ends being formed into screwbolts, which are passed through the plate A,4 i the `wholeloeing then secured by screw-nuts b. Ihe'forward end of the plate A isV formed `Withupwardly-projecting standards or bearing-plates` (l, having arc-shaped recessesl c,

open or j cut awayat one side for the admission of thetrunnions or spindles of the chill-plates, asshown by dotted lines in Fig.

1. D is the thill-plate, its rear end being made cylindrical, .and so asto fit between y vthe bearing-plates C. `It is also provided the Jchill-plate, as shown at h h. The bent or spring portion is passed through a groove,

t', formed in the forward end of the plate A, and its rear end is provided `with a projection or arrow-head, h. I is a block or roller of rubber or other suitable elastic material, secured between the forward-projecting ends of the plate A by means of a bolt or screw, i'. With a thill-coupling of this description it will be seen thatthe thill-plate and its pivot or journal are cast in one piece, and the trun- It will also be seen that no bolt or device having a screw-thread, which might become Worn and drop out, is used in the coupling itself. The only screw-bolt used is the bolt Gr, which may be used for tightening up'the block E, when necessary or desirable; but

the use of this bolt is not essential to the working of my coupling, and may be dispensed with. l

The rubber block F prevents noise and unnecessary Wear between the pivot of the thillplate and the block E, andwhen worn itmay be readily renewed.

The spring-bar H, bearing against the rubber block or roller I, willsustain the shaft in an elevated position, when desired, Without interfering with the necessary free motion of the shafts when the vehicle is in use. The enlarged head h', coming in contact with the forward projections on the plate A, will also prevent the shaft from becoming detached should the pivotal portion become, broken.

Having thu's described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The spring-bar H, in combination with the block I, plate A C, and thill-plate D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affix my. signature in.

presence of two Witnesses. WALTER KATON.

Witnesses:

JOHN STANLEY, SUSAN E. BAEDEN.

Thel 

